Inking mechanism for printing machines



March 31, 1931. E. w. SMITH ET ALl INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed May s, 19:50

4 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.l.

March 31, 1931. E W SMH-H E1- AL INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed May 8, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

Inventors March 31, 1931. E. w. SMITH ET AI.

INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTNG MACHES Filed May 8, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.3.

March 31, 1931.

E. W, SMITH ET AL INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed May 8, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDGAR WILTON SMITH, OF EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, AND THOMAS IllWART PHYTHIAN, OF LEEDS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO R. W. CRABTREE & SONS, LIMITED, OF LEEDS,

ENGLAND INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Application filed May 8, 1930, Serial No. 450,743, and in Great Britain March 6, 1929.

This invention relates to inking mechanism for printing machines, and especially to that type of inking mechanism in whichV ink is by capillary attraction taken up by a rapidly rotating roller from the ffountain roller, for its distribution and application to the printing cylinder or printing surface.

The invention comprises means whereby a continuous and infinitely variable movement derived from theA press mechanismV is imparted to the fountain roller independently of the speed of the press. Y

According tothe invention, moreover, the driven part,'that is to say, the fountainV roller, may be rotatedthrough ratchet mechanism or its equivalent bymeans of a double pawl device or its equivalent having a variable stroke whereby an effective movementis imparted by each stroke of the pawl carrier or its equivalent, and thus a substantiallycontinuous movement transmitted to the driven part, means being providedwhereby the extent of movement thereby transmitted to thedriven part is infinitely variableat will.

Accordingto the invention, moreover, the movement is imparted to the fountain roller through two cam levers so operated that one is always on the forward stroke before the other hascompleted its full stroke,` so that thus the movement imparted to the fountain roller is substantiallyl` continuous at any The invention comprises the constructional features hereinafter described. I

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. Y

Figure lis a side elevation vof Vone construcv tion of inking mechanism accordingto the invention. Y l n Y Figure 2 is an end elevation corresponding to Figure 1, showing thev mechanism at one en d of the fountain roller. Figures 3 and l Vare respectively views similar to Figures l and 2 of a modified construction. y

In carrying the invention into effect according to the construction represented in Figures 1 and 2.of the accompanying drawings, the ink fountain a is raised from the are dispensed with. Y

Movement is imparted to the fountain roller c through gear wheels d, e from a pawl and ratchet or similar mechanism. Thus the It will thus be ,Y

outwardly protruding end of the spindle of Y the fountain roller c may have mounted upon it at one endv inside the frame of the press a gear wheel e in engagementfwith another gear wheel ol disposed upon a parallel disposed spindle f upon which also two ratchet wheels g, 7L are mounted in juxtaposition. Two pawl carrying arms g1, h1 are .freely mounted upon the same spindle, one

arm g1 at the inner side of the innermost ratchet wheel g, and the other h1 on the outer side of the outermost ratchet wheel L. A pair of links g2, h2 is connected at one end to the outer end of the respective arms'gvl, h1,

and the opposite end of each link is connected to the lower end of a corresponding slotted pivoting arm g3, 71.3. The respective slotted pivoting arms g3, h3 depend from the respective ends of a horizontally disposed spindle z' carried centrally within a sliding block 1 adapted to be adjusted vertically within a central slot jl in a bracket mounted upon a support secured to the side of the ink fountain, or to the press frame; it being understood that the bracket y' is centrally disposed between the two respective depending slotted arms g3, h3. y

Two cam levers k, Z are mounted upon a transversely disposed spindle 'm set below the bracket y', the cam levers being disposed beneath, and at each side of the'centre line of, the bracket j. One arm of the respective cam levers k, Z is upstanding while the other extends forwardly at about a right angle (or at an angle slightly more or less) to the other,

and the forwardly extending arms are juxtaposed and each carries a roller 731, Z1 in a position to engage a corresponding cam 7a2, Z2 (not shown in Figure l) which cams are mounted upon the same transversely disposed spindle n, at right angles to a shaft o mounted beside the press frame and deriving movement from the press mechanism, the movement being imparted from the shaft through a pair of bevel gear wheels 01, 02.

It will be observed that for the sake of clearness, one only of each of the pairs of levers 70, Z links g2, h2, and arms g1, h1, g3, 7a3 are shown in Figure l of the drawings.

At the upper end of each of the upstanding arms of the cam levers conn-ection is made, by means of a pin 7c3, Z3 engaging in the slot g4, h1' with the respective slotted pivoted arms g3, 7b3, the lower ends of which are connected to the respective pawl carrying arms g1, t1 by the respective links g2, k2 as hereinbefore described.

lt will be understood that the sliding block i1 may have movement imparted to it vertically upward or downward in the slot jl provided in the bracket y', as, for example, by means of a screw-threaded spindle 2 passing centrally through the block, the -end of the spindle passing through the upper end of the bracket 7' and being mounted therein so as to be axially immovable and carrying an operating wheel or handle at its upper end for the rotation of the spindle.

The cams 752, Z2 are set in substantially diametrically opposite positions in juXta-position upon the spindle n whereby they operate alternately to impart movement to the respective pawl carrying arms g1, h1, and the teeth of the ratchet wheels g, Zz and the pawls are so arranged as to impart movement to the fountain roller c in the same direction7 whereby the movement of the fountain roller is substantially continuous, the cams k2, Z2 being so arranged that one of the two cam levers 7c, Z has begun the forward stroke before the other has completed its full forward stroke. rIhe cams are advantageously so formed as to give a long lift and a quick fall to the rollers 761, Z1: and these movements are imparted to the cam levers 75, Z which in turn impart movement to the slotted arms g3, h3 and to the links g2, h2, and thus through pawl carrying arms g1, h1 to the ratchet wheels g, 7L which rotate the spindle f and thus, through the gear wheels cZ, e, of the fountain roller.

It will be understood that since by manipulation of the wheel 3 it is possible to adjust the sliding block 1 upwardly and downwardly in the slot 2, it is also possible to adjust the position of the slotted arms g3, h3 and their pivot spindle in relation to the pins k3, Z3 which remain always at a fixed radius from the spindle m. Thus, according as the pins 7c3, Z3 are disposed towards the upper or lower ends of the slots g4, h1 in the arms g3, h3 by adjustment of position of the latter, so the angle of oscillation of the said arms is increased or reduced. Consequently, the angular movement of the pawl-carrying arms g1, /L1 is also increased or reduced with a resultant control of the travel of the ratchet wheels g, ZL.

It will be understood that gears may connect the spindle f to the fountain roller inside the frame at both sides of the machine; and that the fountain roller may be divided in the middle to allow either side to be disconnected at will.

t will be further understood that instead of duplicating the operating mechanism in the manner hereinbefore described the pawl carrying arms may be set in opposite juxtaposed positions and the respective pairs of connecting links may be connected to the outer ends of the pawl carrying arms so set, while at the other end they may be connected to the end of a single pivoted arm.

It will, however, be understood that the construction hereinbefore described or some other construction of duplicate operating mechanism is preferred.

Again, instead of providing the cam mechanism hereinbefore described any other operating mechanism may be employed according to the design or construction of press to which the invention is to be applied.

In the modied construction represented in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings, the cam levers g, r are provided as simple upstanding levers pivoted at their lower ends and carrying at the upper ends runners g1,11 for engagement with cams (not shown) carried upon a transversely disposed cam shaft s. The pivot pins of the runners serve to engage the slots g4, h4 of the slotted arms g3, h3, being advantageously provided with runners or suitable bearingsurfaces for the purpose. By such a construction the cam levers are simplified in form, and the necessity for the use of bevel gear for the driving of the cam shaft is avoided. The mechanism is otherwise the same as that illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 excepting for the particular disposition of the ratchet wheels in relation to the ink fountain and small inking drum.

Ve claim:

Inking mechanism for printing machines, comprising an ink fountain, a fountain roller within said ink fountain, a rotating ink drum to pick up ink from said fountain roller, and mechanism to rotate said fountain roller from the drive of the machine but independently of the speed of the machine, comprising a pair of levers mounted upon a fixed pivot, a rotatable element driven from the drive of the machine and serving to oscillate the two levers alternately, a slideway formed upon the machine frame in a direction passing through the pivotal axis of the said levers, a bearing block in the said slideway, means for adjusting said bearing block along the slideway towards and away from the pivotal axis of the levers, a spindle mounted v in the said bearing block, a pair of levers pivoted upon the said spindle, means upon the first pair of levers for respectively engaging said second pair of levers whereby adjustment of the position of the spindle adjusts the position of said means of engagement 'in position upon said second pair of levers, links pivotally connected respectively to the free ends of the Ysecond pair of levers7 pawl-carrying arms connected to the said links and mounted to be oscillated 0n movement of the said links, pawls carried by the said pawl-carrying arms, and ratchet wheels co-aXial with said pawl-carrying arms and `engaged by said pawls, the said ratchet wheels transmitting rotation to the fountain roller.

EDGAR WILTON SMITH. THOMAS EWART'PHYTHIAN. 

